DoPT: Grant of two increments to DS/Sr. PPS on promotion from US/PPS in CSS/CSSS grades

DoPT: Grant of two increments to DS/Sr. PPS on promotion from US/PPS in CSS/CSSS grades

F. No. 18/3/2008-CS-I (P)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

2nd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan,
Khan Market, New Delhi
Dated the 21 st January, 2019

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:- Grant of two increments to DS/Sr. PPS on promotion from US/PPS in CSS/CSSS grades-reg.

References have been received from various Ministries/Departments seeking clarity on the issue of granting additional two increments to DS/Sr. PPS on promotion from the grade of US/ PPS after implementation of Seventh Pay Commission.

2. The 7th CPC had recommended for . abolition of giving two increments on promotion to the post of DS/Sr. PPS of CSS/CSSS Cadre.

However, the matter is still under active consideration in consultation with Department of Expenditure. Any decision as and when arrived at will be intimated to all the cadre units of CSS/CSSS.

3. All the Ministries/ Departments are, accordingly, requested to take note of above.
This also issues in consultation with CS-U Division.

(GeorgeD.Toppo)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India
Tel: 24642706

To
All Ministries/Departments participating in Central Secretariat Service/Central Secretariat Stenographers' Service (through DOPT's Website)

Source: DoPT

DoPT: Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in civil posts and services in the Government of India

DoPT: Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections(EWSs) in Civil Posts and Services in the Government of India

F. No.36039/112019-Estt.(Res.)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

North Block, New Delhi
19th January, 2019

Subject: Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in civil posts and services in the Government of India

Reference is invited to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment O.M. No.F.No.20013/01/2018-BC-1I dated 17.1.2019 on the above mentioned subject, which, inter-alia, reads as under:-

"1 . In pursuance of insertion of clauses 15(6) and 16(6) in the Constitution vide the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 and in order to enable the Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) who are not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, to receive the benefits of reservation on a preferential basis in civil posts and services in the Government of India and admission in Educational Institutions, it has been decided by the Government to provide 10% reservation to EWSs in civil posts and services in Government of India and admission in
Educational Institutions.

2. Persons who are not covered under the existing scheme of reservations for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and whose family has gross annual income below Rs. 8.00 lakh are to be identified as EWSs for the benefit of reservation. Family for this purpose will include the person who seeks benefit of reservation, his/her parents and siblings below the age of 18 years as also his/her spouse and children below the age of 18 years. The income shall include income from all sources I.e. salary, agriculture, business, profession etc. and it will be income for the financial year prior to the year of application. Also persons whose family owns or possesses any of the following assets shall be excluded from being identified as EWSs, irrespective of the family income:

i. 5 acres of Agricultural Land and above;
ii. Residential flat of 1000 sq. ft. and above;
iii. Residential plot of 100 sq. yards and above in notified municipalities;
iv. Residential plot of 200 sq. yards and above in areas other than the notified municipalities.

3. The income and assets of the families as mentioned in para 2 would be required 10 be certified by an officer not below the rank of Tehsildar in the States/UTs. The officer who issues the certificate would do the same after carefully verifying all relevant documents following due process as prescribed by the respective State/ UT.

5. Instructions regarding reservation in employment and admission to educational institutions will be issued by DOPT and Ministry of HRD respectively. "

2. In pursuance of the above Office Memorandum, it is hereby notified that 10% reservation would be provided for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in central government posts and services and would be effective in respect of all Direct Recruitment vacancies to be notified on or after 01.02.2019.

3. Detailed Instructions regarding operation of roster and procedure for implementation of EWS reservation will be issued separately.

(Gyanendra Dev Tripathi)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India

Source: DoPT

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) clarifies regarding issue of Prosecution Notices

Ministry of Finance
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) clarifies regarding issue of Prosecution Notices

21 JAN 2019

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has stated that certain news items that appeared in a section of media regarding enmasse issue of prosecution notices to small companies for TDS default are completely misleading and full of factual inaccuracies. CBDT clarified that Mumbai Income Tax TDS office has issued prosecution Show Cause Notices only in a limited number of big cases where more than Rs. 5 lakh of tax was collected as TDS from employees etc and yet the same was not deposited with the Income Tax Department in time.

CBDT said that some defaulter companies and vested interests are deliberately misleading the media to thwart action against themselves. Having deducted tax from employees and other taxpayers and not depositing the same in time in the Government Treasury is an offence punishable under the law. It also affects the interest of the employees from whose salary the tax has been deducted by the unscrupulous employers who have not deposited the same in time in the Government Treasury. If the TDS is not deposited in time, the employee would be ineligible for claiming credit of the tax deducted when he files his own return.

CBDT stated that in last one month, only in 50 big cases prosecution notices have been issued by Mumbai IT TDS office. Out of these, in 80% of the cases the TDS tax default is above Rs. 10 lakh and in 10 % cases, TDS default is between Rs. 5 to Rs.10 lakh. In the remaining 10% cases, TDS default is of more than Rs. 1 crore as detected in the survey. Prosecutions have also recently been launched against 4 big business houses where more than Rs 50 Crore of tax was collected by them from the tax payers and yet not deposited with the Government in time. But such legal and rightful action is being unfortunately projected in the media by the vested interests as if the Department is going overboard to harass small employers.

It would be pertinent to note that in a country of 130 Crore people where around 6 Crore returns are filed every year, only a total of 1400 prosecutions have been filed so far for various offences under the Income Tax Act during this financial year. This, by any stretch of imagination, cannot be termed as mass harassment by the income tax department. Therefore, to say that prosecution notices enmasse have been sent to taxpayers for minor defaults is completely incorrect and misleading, the CBDT added.

PIB

DoPT: Bye-Election to the State Legislative Assembly of Haryana (36 Jind) - Grant of Paid Holiday on the day of poll

Grant of Paid Holiday on the Day of Poll - DoPT Orders

Bye-Election to the State Legislative Assembly of Haryana (36 Jind) - Grant of Paid Holiday on the day of poll

F.No.12/3/2016-JCA2
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel & Training)
Establishment (JCA-2) Section

North Block, New Delhi
Dated January , 2019

Office Memorandum

Subject: Bye-Election to the State Legislative Assembly of Haryana (36 Jind) - Grant of Paid Holiday on the day of poll - regarding

The undersigned is directed to state that as informed by the Election Commission of India vide their letter No. 78/EPS/2019/512 dated 10.01.2019, bye-election to the State Legislative Assembly in the State of Haryana (36-Jind) will be held on 28.01.2019 (Monday).

2.In this regard, the guidelines already issued by this Department vide OM No. 12/14/99-JCA dated 10.10.2001 would have to be followed for the Central Government Offices, including industrial establishments in the concerned State.

3.The above instructions may please be brought to the notice of all concerned.

4.Hindi version will follow.

(Raju Saraswat)
Under Secretary (JCA)

Source: DoPT

PRIVATIZATION OF PASSENGER TRAINS

PRIVATIZATION OF PASSENGER TRAINS

New Delhi: The discussions are on with senior officials and experts whether to allow private players run passenger operations and fix fares, a senior Railway Board member said Friday.

At an event organized by Centre for Transportation Research and management, Railway Board Member (Traffic) Girish Pillai said that senior officials are now currently discussing the matter.
There have been many changes in train operations across the world and I think it’s time that India should discuss the options of allowing private operators to operate passenger trains.

"Whether they can be permitted to fix fares, construct terminals, senior officials of railways and experts in the field are discussing this," said Pillai.

He also said that there was a need to separate the freight sector and passenger services.
The senior official maintained that running train services in the country is loss making endeavour and only a few trains are making any profit, while others are running in losses.

He said that only 15 percent of the non-sub-urban passengers travel in reserved classes among whom around five percent travel in higher classes and 10 to 11 percent travel in sleeper classes.

"Most of them travel in unreserved category. There is a need for changes in freight as well as passenger fares and there needs to be more flexibility in them, he said.

Pillai pointed out that with the nod for private players to enter the freight sector around 50 private freight terminals have come up in the country and railways wants more to come up.

He said that in the USA, the rail operator has only 25 percent of the wagon and container services and the other 75 percent are with private businesses. In Russia, he said, the govt has no stake in these services.

Source: Confederation

7th CPC Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance - DoPT Order 2019

7th CPC Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance - DoPT Order 2019

F. No. 4/6/2017-Estt.(Pay-II)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi
Date: 18.01.2019

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: - Implementation of the recommendations of Seventh Central Pay Commission - Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance -reg.

Consequent upon the decision taken by the Government on the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission vide Department of Expenditure's Resolution No. 11-1/2016-IC dated 06.07.2017, Cash Handling Allowance and Treasury Allowance have been subsumed in 'Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance'. The President is now pleased to decide that Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance shall be admissible to Central Government employees at the following rates subject to conditions mentioned in subsequent paras: -

2. The powers to grant Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance remain delegated to the Ministries and Head of Departments who, at their discretion, may appoint Junior Secretariat Assistants / Senior Secretariat Assistants / Assistant Section Officers / officials holding substantive post up to level 7 of Pay Matrix, to perform the duties of Cashiers. The grant of Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance shall be subject to the following conditions:-

(i) The amount of Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance to be granted will depend on the average amount of monthly Cash disbursed, excluding payment by cheques/ drafts/ECS/online payments/other modes where cash handling in physical form is not involved.

(ii) The Ministry or Head of the Department concerned should certify, on the basis of the previous financial year's average, the amount of Cash disbursed and sanction the rate of Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance appropriate to that quantum. The average amount of Cash disbursed should be arrived at by taking the total amount shown as disbursed in the Cash Book reduced by the items disbursed in the form of cheques/R.T.Rs/Drafts/ECS/online payments/other modes where cash handling in physical form is not involved, etc.

(iii) The Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance granted to the official should be reviewed every financial year.

(iv) Every official, who is appointed to work as Cashier, unless he is exempted by the competent authority , should furnish security in accordance with the provisions contained in Rule 306 (1) to 306 (4) in Chapter 12 of the General Financial Rules, 2017 as amended from time to time.

(v) The Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance is to be granted from the date of issue of order of appointment as Cashier or from the date of furnishing security, whichever is later.

(vi) Not more than one official should be allowed the Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance in an office/Department.

(vii) Sanction in each case should invariably be issued in the name of the person who is appointed to do the Cash work and for whom the Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance is sanctioned.

(viii) In cases of Cashier appointed on direct recruitment /promotion to such a post in terms of provision of RRs, no Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance will be admissible. Further, where there are sufficient number of Cashiers in various Grades to constitute a viable cadre in a Deptt./Organisation, then the post of Cashiers would not carry any Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance.

(ix) The Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance will not be admissible to Senior Secretariat Assistants cum Cashiers as Cash Handling is part and parcel of the duties of this post.

3. In the case of a newly created office, where it is not possible to observe all the conditions quoted above, Ministries and Heads of Departments may themselves grant Cash Handling and Treasury Allowance to cashiers during the first year of existence on the basis of the estimated average monthly cash disbursements. The other conditions quoted in para ( 2) above will, however apply.

4. Any relaxation of the above terms and conditions will require the prior concurrence of the Department of Personnel & Training.

5. These orders shall be effective from 01.07.20 17.

6. In so far as persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are being issued after consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

(Rajeev Bahree)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Telephone No. : 011-23040489

To
All Ministries / Departments of the Government of India as per standard list

Source: DoPT

7th CPC Benefits to Teachers and Academic Staff of Technical Institutes Payment of Arrears (from 1.1.2016) on account of 7th CPC implementation

7th CPC Benefits to Teachers and Academic Staff of Technical Institutes  Payment of Arrears (from 1.1.2016) on account of 7th CPC implementation

The government has approved a proposal to extend the 7th Central Pay Commission benefits to teachers and other academic staff of the state government and government-aided degree level technical institutes.

Shri Javadekar informed that the Government has approved proposal to extend the 7th CPC to the teachers and other academic staff of the State Govt. / Govt. aided degree level technical institutions in the country, which will have additional Central Government liability of Rs.1241.78 crore. He said that the Central Government will reimburse 50% of the total additional expenditure (from 1.1.2016 to 31.3.2019) to be incurred by these institutes for payment of arrears on account of 7th CPC implementation.

This will directly benefit a total of 29,264 teachers and other academic staff of State Government funded institutes. Besides, about 3.5 lakh teachers and other academic staff of private colleges/ institutions within the purview of AICTE will also benefit from the approval given today, he added.
This will have additional Central government liability of over 1240 crore rupees. The Centre will reimburse 50 per cent of the total additional expenditure from 1st January 2016 to 31st March this year to be incurred by these institutes for payment of arrears.

An official release said, the measure will directly benefit more than 29 thousand teachers and other academic staff of state government funded colleges and institutes.

Besides, about three-and-a-half lakh teachers and academic staff of private institutes under the AICTE will also benefit. Implementation of pay commission recommendation in State Government Aided / funded AICTE approved technical institutes will help them in attracting and retaining the faculty of high academic standards.

Provisions for writing of APAR of Railway Employees Working in Grade Pay Rs.1800/- Level-I

Provisions for writing of APAR of Railway Employees Working in Grade Pay Rs.1800/- Level-I

RBE NO. 9 /2019

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(RAILWAY BOARD)

No.E(NG)I-2013/CR/1

New Delhi dated 11/01/2019

The General Managers (P)
All Zonal Railways & Production Units
(As per Standard list).

Subject: Introduction of Provisions for writing of APAR of Railway Employees Working in Grade Pay Rs.1800/- Level-I.

Attention is invited to Board’s letter of even number dated 30.12.2014, vide which, concept of writing APARs of those Railways’ employees working in Grade Pay Rs.1900 and in whose cases APARs were not written earlier, was introduced inter-alia mentioning that those Railway servants in Grade Pay Rs.1800, the system of working reports as and when required will continue. A proforma evolved for this purpose was also enclosed.

2. A need to introduce the system of writing APARs in the cases of erstwhile Group ‘D’ staff working in Grade Pay Rs.1800, Level-I, has been experienced considering the fact that now such employees have also been made eligible to compete with others in the scheme of LDCE and other departmental selections whenever and wherever these are conducted to fill up particular posts through departmental promotion.

3. Consequently, the matter has been reviewed. It is advised that the APARs be written in the case of all the erstwhile Group ‘D’ employees G.P. Rs. 1800/- Level-1 in the proforma The revised proforma will be applicable for APARs written from the current year (2018-19) onwards.

(M.K.Meena)

Deputy Director Estt. (N)

Railway Board

MACP guidance as per recommendations of the 7th CPC

MACP guidance as per recommendations of the 7th CPC

Directorate General

Sashastra Seema Bel

East Block-V, R.K. Puram

New Delhi 110066

No. 1/Org/MACP/2018(186)/ 117

Dated: 10th Jan 2019

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

This is in reference to DoP&T OM F. No. 35034/3/2015-Estt.(D) dated 27/28.09.2016 regarding enhancement of Benchmark for financial up‑gradation under MACP Scheme as per recommendations of the 7th CPC accepted by the Government.

Of late, field units have been seeking clarification regarding the applicability of benchmark ‘Very Good’ for considering financial up-gradation under MACP Scheme. The matter has been examined at FHQ and the following clarifications are issued for compliance by all concerned:-

(i) For grant of financial up-gradation under the MACPS, the prescribed benchmark would he ‘Very Good’ for all the posts w.e.f. 25.07.2016.

(ii) APAR grading ‘Good’ for the period prior to 25.07.2016 i.e. the date from which the new Benchmark made applicable, may be treated as ‘Very Good’ while considering such cases by the Screening Committee/BOO.

(iii) There should be at least three ‘Very Good’ grading and other two not below ‘Good’ grading out of last five ACRs/APARs considering point (i) & (ii) in view for arriving at the prescribed Benchmark ‘Very Good’. Some illustrations are given in the enclosed Annexure-A for guidance.

Encl:-As above.

(Rakesh Kumar)

Commandant(Org)

Source: Confederation

Approval for regularization of Pay scales of below Board Level Executives in NHPC, NEEPCO, THDC & SJVN

Approval for regularization of Pay scales of below Board Level Executives in NHPC, NEEPCO, THDC & SJVN

  Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Cabinet

16-January-2019

Cabinet approves regularisation of Pay Scales of below Board Level Executives in NHPC Ltd., North East Electric Power Corporation, THDC India Ltd. and SJVN Ltd. w.e.f. 1.1.97

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for regularization of Pay scales of below Board Level Executives in National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC), North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), THDC India Ltd. (formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd.) and Satluj Jal Vidhyut Nigam Ltd. (SJVN), w.e.f. 01.01.1997 adopted by them consequent upon the orders of Ministry of Power dated 04.04.2006 and 01.09.2006.

Implementation strategy:

After the approval, the pay scales adopted by Hydro CPSEs consequent upon the order of the Ministry of Power dated 04.04.2006 and 01.09.2006 shall be regularized.

Impact:

About 5,254 Executives of Hydro CPSEs enrolled before 01.01.2007 will be benefitted by this approval. It will motivate and boost the morale the Executives of Hydro CPSEs,

Expenditure:

The total expenditure to the tune of Rs. 323 crore will be incurred for the regularisation of pay scales.

Background:

Anomalies existed in the pay scales of Executives of NHPC, NEEPCO, THDCIL and SJVNL w.e.f. 01.01.1997 due to revision of pay scales of unionized category of workmen/non-executives in line with the NTPC/Oil sector within the organizations. The pay scales of workmen and Supervisors were higher than the pay scale of Executives in the E-1 grade.

The proposal was earlier considered by the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) and the Cabinet on several occasion. The Cabinet in December, 2013 decided as below:

•     The deviant pay scales fixed w.e.f. 01.01.1997 shall not be regularized.
•     However, no recovery shall be made for the excess pay drawn from 01.01,1997onwards considering the difficulties in effecting recovery and also considering that such a recovery may de-motivate the staff.
•     The pay scales shall be fitted w.e.f. 01.01.2007 after correcting the aberration in payscales fixed w.e.f. 01.01.1997.

Aggrieved with the order, various Employee Associations of Hydro PSEs filed Writ Petitions in different High Courts. The High Court of Uttarakhand&Meghalaya quashed the above decision. SLP was filed in Supreme Court on-12.04.2017 against the judgment of High Court of Uttarakhand which was dismissed on 08.05.2017. A Contempt petition has been filed in the High Courts of Meghalaya and Uttarakhand. Ministry of Power is left with no option other than seeking approval of Cabinet for regularizing the pay scales of NHPC, SJVNL, NEEPCO and THDCIL w.e.f. 01.01.1997 adopted by them consequent upon the orders of Ministry of Power dated 04.04.2006 and 01.09.2006.

Source:PIB